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Portable software applications can be carried on a convenient storage medium such as a USB drive, and offer numerous benefits to mobile teachers and learner. The article illustrates the growing field of "portable apps" in reviews of seven contrasting products. These represent the major categories of document editing, email maintenance, Internet browsing, instant messaging, file transfer, multimedia presentation, and anti-virus protection. Emphasis is placed on ways to use "portable apps" to overcome the common problems of Internet usage during travel.

Few districts have more miles on their 1-to-1 computing initiatives than Texas' Irving Independent School District, where the teachers have had laptops since 1996 and the current student program began with a pilot launched in 2001. Today, the Irving 1-to-1 program puts close to 12,000 laptops in the hands of students and teachers throughout the district. One key to a successful program is taking full advantage of the support options the vendor provides when making the purchase. In this article, veteran IT leaders provide tips to help with the upkeep of a district's 1-to-1 computing program.

Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level was reported by three independent assessors in a population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged between 4 and 18 years (n=184; 112 males, 72 females; mean age 10y 10mo [SD 3y 7mo]). A software algorithm also provided a computed GMFCS level from a regional CP registry. Participants had clinical diagnoses of unilateral (n=94) and bilateral (n=84) spastic CP, ataxia (n=4), dyskinesia (n=1), and hypotonia (n=1), and could walk independently with or without the use of an aid (GMFCS Levels I-IV). Research physiotherapist (n=184) and parent/guardian data (n=178) were collected in a research environment. Data from the child's community physiotherapist (n=143) were obtained by postal questionnaire. Results, using the kappa statistic with linear weighting (K[subscript 1w]), showed good agreement between the parent/guardian and research physiotherapist (K[subscript 1w]=0.75) with more moderate levels of agreement between the clinical physiotherapist and researcher (K[subscript 1w]=0.64) and the clinical physiotherapist and parent/guardian (K[subscript 1w]=0.57). Agreement was consistently better for older children (greater than 2y). This study has shown that agreement with parent report increases with therapists' experience of the GMFCS and knowledge of the child at the time of grading. Substantial agreement between a computed GMFCS and an experienced therapist (K[subscript 1w]=0.74) also demonstrates the potential for extrapolation of GMFCS rating from an existing CP registry, providing the latter has sufficient data on locomotor ability.

Discusses barriers individuals face in using computers in the classroom and the importance of eliminating these barriers. The article notes that visual, mobility, and hearing impairments are the disabilities most often encountered in school labs and that numerous software and hardware tools are available to help individuals with these disabilities make full use of computers. (one reference) (Author/CK)

Objective: Hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds are common in patients with diabetes and are associated with a decrease in quality of life (QoL). Pathogenic bacteria often colonise hard-to-heal wounds and hinder the healing process which poses a high risk for (systemic) infections. In this study, we aim to prove that probiotics are capable of displacing human pathogenic bacteria, ameliorating inflammation and positively influencing the microenvironment/microbiome of skin and mucosa. Method: In this pilot study, patients with diabetes and hard-to-heal wounds with a duration of 2–120 months received an oral multispecies probiotic daily for six months. Changes in oral, stool and wound microbiome were investigated, and the effects of the probiotic intervention on wound healing, periodontitis and wound-specific quality of life (Wound-QOL-17) were analysed throughout the course of this clinical study. Results: In total, seven of the 20 patients included were unable to complete the study. After six months of oral probiotic intake supplementation in five out of the remaining 13 patients, the wounds had healed completely. Most patients reported an improvement in wound-specific QoL, with particular positive effects on pain and mobility. Microbiome analysis revealed a reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermis in healed wounds. Conclusion: This findings of this study provide evidence for the beneficial effects of the oral application of a multispecies probiotic over six months in patients with diabetes and hard-to-heal wounds on wound closure, wound microbial pattern, QoL, and on dental health. A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial is required to verify the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Manual wheelchairs (MWC) users have limited mobility during winter months as they encounter many environmental barriers that restrict their community participation. This paper outlines the creation and standardization of an outdoor environment designed to simulate the real-life conditions and obstacles experienced by MWC users in winter. Methods and results: This study consisted of four phases. In Phase 1, researchers used a qualitative ethnographic approach to document the specific challenges and adaptive strategies used by MWC users in winter conditions. In Phase 2, key informants with expertise in MWC winter mobility were invited to co-design the Standardized Navigation Of Winter Mobility & Accessibility Network (SNOWMAN) course. Participants reviewed draft design solutions and offered their input and suggestions to expand upon the initial design. A second co-design workshop included additional key informants, including service providers, policymakers, and professionals with expertise in landscape architecture and engineering, to validate the design solution. The workshops resulted in a detailed illustration of the SNOWMAN course, including five sections: platforms with side slopes, a miniature ice rink, curbs and curb cuts, a path with uneven winter surfaces, and modular ramps at various slopes. Phases 3 and 4 marked the conclusion of the study and involved fabrication of the SNOWMAN course and establishment of a standardized protocol for course setup and maintenance. Discussion: The project aimed to offer several additional potential benefits, supported by the various stakeholders across the study phases, that extend beyond creation of a controlled and safe environment for wheelchair users to develop their winter mobility skills. Practicing wheelchair skills in this area may assist wheelchair users in gaining confidence which may ultimately translate to increased participation in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Humana is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Biomedicas de la Universidad Ricardo Palma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Visual impairment (V.I.) has been associated with a negative impact on activities of daily living (ADL) and navigation outside the home. Adults from minority ethnic communities are projected to make up an increasing proportion of the V.I. population in the UK, yet the evidence relating to their experiences of living with V.I. is limited. This article uses data collected by the V.I. Lives Survey, between December 2019 and November 2020. Using secondary analysis of anonymised survey data, this article explores self-reported functioning relating to ADL, navigation outside of the home, and use of technology to access information in a matched control sample of adults from minority ethnic (MEC) and white communities (WC). The findings showed that most issues relating to self-efficacy, accessibility of public environments, and technology were significantly more important to MEC than WC participants. A significantly higher proportion of MEC participants required frequent help with cooking, received support for ADL from siblings and other family members, and had their shopping delivered. WC participants were significantly more likely to receive help with shopping from their spouse/partner and use public transport as much as they liked. Future research will need to confirm these findings in a larger sample and explore the reasons for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Mobility disability is the most prevalent form of disability for older adults in the United States. A physical therapy mobility checkup (MC) under development is a patient-centered preventative physical therapy visit. It includes physical performance testing and education on physical performance as a valuable and modifiable health indicator. The purpose of this study was to identify the proportion of older adults willing to participate in an MC, the age at which they would initiate care, their desired frequency of participation, and the characteristics, or attributes, of the MC they preferred. Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted at the Minnesota State Fair, adults older than 55 years answered survey questions about preventative health practices and completed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to determine their preferences for the MC. Attributes studied in the DCE were visit duration, checkup content, education, and possible outcomes of participating in preventative care for mobility. Descriptive statistics characterized demographic information and survey responses. Conjoint choice modeling estimated the main effect for each DCE attribute. Results and Discussion: One hundred sixty-six older adults participated in the study. Seventy-eight percent indicated that they would choose an MC if available. Most participants (66%) believed that MCs should occur before 60 years of age and at least annually (68%). A 30-minute visit duration, which accounted for 84% of attribute importance, was preferred. Balance, the preferred content of the MC, accounted for 12% of the attribute importance. Preferences for educational content and possible outcomes of participation with preventative care aimed at preventing mobility loss were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Older adults value preventative care for reducing mobility disability. They identified time efficiency and the inclusion of measures to assess balance as priorities for this preventative physical therapy visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements facilitate feedback adaptation in rehabilitation through virtual reality (VR) exergaming, serious gaming, wearables, and telerehabilitation for older adults fall prevention. Although studies have evaluated these technologies, no comparisons of their effectiveness have been conducted to date. Thus, this study aims to assess the differences in effectiveness of these interventions on balance and functional mobility in the older adults. A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) were conducted to identify the most effective interventions for improving balance and functional mobility in adults aged 60 and over. The search was conducted in five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science) up to June 10, 2023. The eligibility criteria were: (1) older adults, (2) functional mobility, balance, or gait as the primary outcome, (3) new technology intervention, and (4) randomized study design. New technology interventions were classified into five categories: exergaming with balance platforms or motion capture technologies, other serious gaming, interventions with wearables, and telerehabilitation. Additionally, two categories of control interventions (conventional exercises and no treatment) were extracted. The NMA was performed for the aggregated results of all outcomes, and separately for clinical functional scales, functional mobility, and gait speed results. Fifty-two RCTs with 3081 participants were included. Exergaming with motion capture was found to be statistically significant in producing a better effect than no treatment in the analysis of the functional mobility with an SMD of −0.70 (P < 0.01). The network meta-analysis revealed that exergaming with motion capture offers greater therapeutic benefits for functional mobility and balance compared to no treatment control. The effectiveness of this approach is similar to that of conventional exercises. Further RCTs are needed to provide a more definitive conclusion, particularly with respect to the effectiveness of serious games, telerehabilitation, and interventions with wearables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study analyzed the 32-item Motor Function Measure in a cohort of ambulatory patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using Rasch measurement methods. Design: This is a psychometric study. Setting: Rehabilitation centre of a large public children's hospital in Shenzhen, China. Participants: Data from 176 genetically confirmed ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (mean age 7.3 years, SD 2.3 years, range 3.1–13.1 years) were analyzed. Results: Rasch analyses supported the Motor Function Measure domain D1 as a reliable (person reliability = 0.88, person separation index = 2.71) and valid (acceptable targeting, little misfit, minimal category disordering) measure in ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Remodelling the domain D1 by collapsing item 25 from 4 to 3 response categories addressed the problematic disordered thresholds, resulting in a rebuilt domain D1 with enhanced measurement properties. However, findings for domains D2 and D3 did not fulfil most Rasch model expectations. There were disordered thresholds for most items in domains D2 and D3, with low reliability coefficients, item mistargeting and misfit, and large ceiling effects. Conclusion: Rasch analyses confirmed that the Motor Function Measure domain D1 was reliable and valid and provided a unidimensional measure for motor function in ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. Accuracy of measurement had been enhanced through remodelling, and a rebuilt domain D1 with category collapsing for item 25 was proposed. The analysis revealed multiple limitations of the domains D2 and D3 that certain essential psychometrics were poorly met and, therefore, should be used with caution in this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults fall and live with the fear of falling. Until recently vitamin D to strengthen bones, Tai Chi and other slow deliberate exercises have been prescribed. Recent studies introducing these adults to newer technological innovations such as the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft HoloLens and Oculus from Meta show enjoyment of using the equipment, improvement with balance, reduced fear of falling and stronger feelings of independence. This column reports the troubling statistics of older adults falling, introduces technological innovations and highlights studies using these tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the United States, access to microprocessor-controlled prosthetic ankles is limited to patients with lower-limb loss classified as unlimited community ambulators or greater. However, the potential benefits of these devices have not been evaluated among patients classified as household or limited community ambulators. This study examined the benefit of hydraulic- and microprocessor-controlled prosthetic ankles for patients classified as limited community ambulators. Materials and Methods: Four different treatment configurations were evaluated using a randomized crossover study design. These four configurations included the participant's current flexible keel (FK) prosthetic foot, an energy-storage-and-return foot (ESAR), a hydraulic ankle (HA), and amicroprocessor ankle (MPA). After a 2-week accommodation period, both patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures were recorded for each ankle foot system. A StepWatch activity monitor and two-dimensional video motion analysis were also used to evaluate each system. Results: A single participant meeting the inclusion criteria was recruited. The patient-reportedmobility and socket fit instruments were greatest with the HA system. When assessed on slopes and stairs, the MPA demonstrated benefits on hill ascent and stair descent. In considering the walking speed and perceived exertion jointly, the HA system allowed similar walking speed but lower exertion compared with fixed-ankle systems. The patient-reported low back pain and balance confidence instruments did not provide useful data for interpretation. Two-dimensional videomotion analysis showed that the HA and MPA contributed to improved ankle and knee postures when ascending and descending a slope. The step activity data showed the greatest activity with the HA. Discussion: The results from the outcome measures showed a varying level of benefit across all four of the treatment configurations. Both the HA and MPA had favorable scores in varying performance-based outcome measures, but the HA scored the most favorable in a majority of the patient-reported outcome measures. Conclusion: The results show varying benefits of the microprocessor- and hydraulic-controlled prosthetic components over fixed-ankle ESAR and FK feet, based on both performance-based and patient-reported outcome measures. Further studies are needed to fully evaluate these benefits in larger sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite the substantial role indoor exposure has played in heat wave–related mortality, few epidemiological studies have examined the health effects of exposure to indoor heat. As a result, knowledge gaps regarding indoor heat–health thresholds, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity persist. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the role of indoor heat exposure on mortality and morbidity among the elderly (=65 years of age) in Houston, Texas. METHODS: Mortality and emergency hospital admission data were obtained through the Texas Department of State Health Services. Summer indoor heat exposure was modeled at the U.S. Census block group (CBG) level using building energy models, outdoor weather data, and building characteristic data. Indoor heat–health associations were examined using time-stratified case-crossover models, controlling for temporal trends and meteorology, and matching on CBG of residence, year, month, and weekday of the adverse health event. Separate models were fitted for three indoor exposure metrics, for individual lag days 0–6, and for 3-d moving averages (lag 0–2). Effect measure modification was explored via stratification on individual- and area-level vulnerability factors. RESULTS: We estimated positive associations between short-term changes in indoor heat exposure and cause-specific mortality and morbidity [e.g., circulatory deaths, odds ratio per 5° C increase = 1:16 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.30)]. Associations were generally positive for earlier lag periods and weaker across later lag periods. Stratified analyses suggest stronger associations between indoor heat and emergency hospital admissions among African Americans compared with Whites. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest excess mortality among certain elderly populations in Houston who are likely exposed to high indoor heat. We developed a novel methodology to estimate indoor heat exposure that can be adapted to other U.S. locations. In locations with high air conditioning prevalence, simplified modeling approaches may adequately account for indoor heat exposure in vulnerable neighborhoods. Accounting for indoor heat exposure may improve the estimation of the total impact of heat on health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Physiotherapy Canada is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Intensive exercise in the early postoperative rehabilitation after hip fracture (up to 3 months postoperatively) is beneficial to the recovery of physical function in older adults. • Intensive exercise with more load lead to greater improvements in muscle strength, balance, and functional ability. • Older adults with cognitive impairment were not included in the studies selected for this review, conclusions about the training results may not be extended to this population. Individuals commonly experience age-related systemic decreases in skeletal muscle strength, physical function, and mobility, leading to falls and potential associated hip fractures. To evaluate whether intensive exercise can improve physical function, mobility, and independence in activities of daily living (ADL) and shorten the length of hospital stay in older adults after hip fracture surgery. This systematic review was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines. Searches were performed on January 5, 2022 in eight databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The participants included older adults with hip fracture, and the intervention studied was intensive exercise. The outcomes were physical function, mobility, ADLs, and the length of hospital stay. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3. Fifteen studies were included in this review. After hip fracture surgery, intensive exercise improved participants' physical function to a greater extent than regular or no exercise (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.25, 1.23). Intensive exercise was particularly more effective for gait speed (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.30), the timed up-and-go test results (mean difference [MD] = -4.34, 95%CI: -6.74, -1.94), balance (SMD =0.42, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.89), and ADLs (SMD = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.87). The quality of the evidence was low due to risk of bias, inconsistency, and imprecision. Intensive exercise early post-operation provides potential additional benefits compared to no or regular exercises on older adults after hip fracture surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, more and more occasions require security protection under extreme resource-constrained conditions. The traditional PUF is difficult to function effectively and requires replacement of equipment, which leads to increased product design and time costs. To tackle these problems, we propose a Software Physical Unclonable Functions (SPUF) scheme based on the high robustness of the RISC-V processor. The main contribution is to utilize the low-voltage feature so that the RISC-V processor operates in an unusual state for generating abnormal information, and to use this information to characterize the chip characteristics. Meanwhile, the frequency compensation method is proposed to further optimize the robustness of the SPUF response, and a lightweight SPUF-based authentication protocol is adopted to improve the authentication security. In this way, the safety and reliability of the proposed PUF are evaluated. The experimental results show that the SPUF data passed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) randomness tests, with an autocorrelation less than 0.03 at 95% confidence level. The averaged Hamming weight and Hamming distance are 0.495 and 0.501, respectively, making it widely applicable to IoT security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]